[0:00] Welcome
Hello, all. Welcome to a video that explains what PIPER is, its purpose, and how it works.
[0:08] What is PIPER?
PIPER stands for Participating in Psychology Experiential Research. PIPER was created by the TCNJ Psychology Department, which allows students to be engaged in a research pool that is meant to aid the faculty-led and student research performed at TCNJ. It is a major tool for the research performed in the Psychology Department as it is where many of the labs, and research programs, get their participants and the data needed to conduct their research.
[0:37] Gain Research Participant Experience
Through PIPER, students can gain first-hand experience of being in a research study as a participant and seeing how a research study is run. This can possibly spur interest in our students to choose a research lab or do research later on at TCNJ through the ELOPsy [Experiential Learning Opportunities in Psychology] courses. There are various options to participate in once the student is eligible to participate in the research labs. The students can get a first-hand experience of these research labs by participating in them as research participants.
[1:09] Earning PIPER Credit for Courses
PIPER is also an excellent resource to help students with their academics. Some courses may have a requirement that you complete research studies to earn a certain number of PIPER credits,* but many courses also allow students to receive extra credit for their participation in the PIPER research studies.
[1:28] PIPER Opens After Add/Drop
The PIPER pool opens after the course add/drop period because the rosters for courses with a PIPER requirement or those offering PIPER for extra credit are uploaded to SONA. SONA is the software that manages research appointments for the Psychology Department. After the rosters are uploaded, an email will be sent to all students saying that PIPER is open all with the students’ log-in information.
[1:58] SONA Log-In
Your SONA log-in is different from your TCNJ log-in and it is reset each semester. So, your first step is to log-in to SONA and create your password. The SONA page shows each open and available study that is listed. Students can view the available timeslots for participating in the research studies, study information, and the eligibility criteria for each study.
[2:27] Viewing Studies in PIPER
When clicking on any of the studies under “Study Information,” details on study name, type, credits, duration, abstract, description, research, and deadlines are given. A tab on the bottom also lets students view when available timeslots are open.
[2:47] Viewing Available Timeslots
When clicking on the green tab for available timeslots, students will view what time, day, and location the research slots are open. Students can then sign up for whatever time best fits their schedule. Students will then receive a confirmation email about their sign up for the study.
[3:06] Research Study Sign-Up Reminders
It is important that students only sign up for research studies where they meet the eligibility criteria to ensure that the research labs can keep their population of research subjects consistent to what is needed and ensure the integrity of the data.
[3:21] When to Sign Up for Studies
An idea that students seem to forget about is that research studies tend to dry up towards the end of the semester. Timing of when students sign up to participate in a research study is crucial. Students should make sure they sign up for the studies when there is the most amount of studies available. So, we strongly recommend that students sign up for studies around mid-semester as this is the time that is peak opportunity for students to enroll.
[3:54] Allocating PIPER Credit
After participation in the study, the researchers will allocate the student participants one (1) PIPER credit per half hour of participation in the study. An email is sent to each student participant when the PIPER credit has been allocated to their account, which will at most take one week.
[4:13] Applying PIPER Credit
Once PIPER credit has been assigned, the student must apply their PIPER credit to the class that is accepting it. For example, the student will have one PIPER credit and will have to assign their PIPER credit to their PSY 101 class, or any other class offering extra credit or that is a requirement. A PIPER credit can only be assigned to one psychology class. This means that the same PIPER credit could not be applied to both PSY 101 and PSY 121.
[4:46] Reminders for Signing up as a Participant and for Applying Credit
PIPER credit can be earned up until the last day of classes. Many labs will stop collecting data before the last week of classes, as well. It is important that students to remember to assign their PIPER credit to the class they are using for extra credit or their requirement as the professors are unable to see if a student performed in a research study and earned PIPER without it being assigned to their specific class.
[5:13] Recap
To recap, PIPER enables students to participate in research studies to earn extra credit and get the experience of being a research participant or working in a research lab. Furthermore, it allows the research labs and faculty-led research programs to collect their data using the students at TCNJ.
Students access PIPER a few weeks into the semester through the PIPER website and can view what research studies are open. The students can then pick a study that they want to participate in and are eligible for. After participating in the study, the student will be appropriately rewarded their PIPER credit and must apply it to the class they want to earn their PIPER credit for. Students have from when PIPER opens up until the last day of classes to earn PIPER credit.
[6:08] Closing
Thank you for watching. If you have any other questions, please reach out to piper@tcnj.edu.
Note:
*PIPER is no longer a requirement and does not require students to earn a minimum number of credits.